Islamabad - The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Pakistan's own probe had linked militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) with 10 fighters involved in last month's Mumbai attacks, a report which Islamabad has declined to comment on.

A Pakistani security official told the WSJ that at least one top LeT commander, Zarar Shah, has admitted a role in the Mumbai attack during interrogation.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Shah's admission is backed up by US intercepts of a phone call between Shah and one of the attackers at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, one of the sites of terrorist strikes that left more than 170 people dead in India's financial hub.

Oslo - British singer Amy Winehouse has been served a summons to an appeals court hearing in Norway in January, the Norwegian online newspaper Nettavisen reported Wednesday.

In October 2007, the soul singer, her husband Blake Fielder-Civil and another member of her entourage spent a night in police custody after a small amount of marijuana was found in a hotel room while she was on tour in Bergen, western Norway.

The three accepted a fine but subsequently appealed the fine. A likely reason offered was that they wanted to avert potential problems when visiting the United States.

Prague - As the Czech Republic takes over at the helm of the European Union on Thursday, the country's diplomats already face a big test - The EU response to Israeli air-strikes on the Gaza Strip.

Prague, a proponent of deeper EU ties with Israel, still hopes to stage the first top-level meeting between the EU and Israel in the final days of its presidency ending on June 30, officials said.

But instead of paving way for an upgrade in EU-Israeli relations, Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg is likely to lead an EU delegation to deal with the latest Middle East conflict as soon as Sunday.

Riyadh - A prominent Saudi Arabian Muslim cleric who called for attacks on Israelis worldwide in retaliation for the ongoing airstrikes on the Gaza Strip has been arrested, Saudi media reported on Wednesday.

Sheikh Awad al-Qarni issued a fatwa, or religious ruling, on Monday saying that "it is legitimate to spill (Israeli) blood as long as they are spilling the blood of our brothers in Palestine."

The report in the al-Rasad newspaper said that al-Qarni had been arrested in the south of the country and had been brought to the capital Riyadh. Police would not confirm the arrest.

Nove Mesto, Czech Republic - Axel Teichmann of Germany got his second stage win on Wednesday while Swiss Dario Cologna retained the overall lead in the Tour de Ski cross-country series.

The former world champion Teichmann, who had dominated Saturday's prologue, won the 15-kilometres classic style stage in 39 minute 3.7 seconds.

Martin Johnsrud Sundby of Norway finished 5.0 seconds behind and Kazakh Nikolay Chebotko was third on the podium, 10.5 seconds off the pace.

Colombo - The Sri Lankan government has offered a relief package to the public amidst pressure from opposition parties to reduce fuel prices and lower the cost of living.

The government has reduced fuel and gas prices with immediate effect and offered incentives for garment, tea and rubber exporters as well as the tourism industry as part of the economic measures.